Costume Quest 2

Costume Quest 2 isn't a long game - it took me around six hours to complete, including almost all the side quests - but even a short game can outstay its welcome, and while there is still a great concept at the core of Double Fine's Halloween series, if anything this sequel is even further away from nailing it than its predecessor. Shallow and repetitive, Costume Quest 2's winsome appearance and occasional wit never quite obscure the busywork at its core.

Lightweight but inventive, Costume Quest 2 feels like a Pixar adventure masquerading as an RPG. It goes out of its way to keep things simple... perhaps too simple at times. But its simplicity is redeemed by its terrific art and wry sense of humor, and most importantly, the sheer fun of its premise.

You can wrap up the story in about 6 hours. There are 12 costumes to try on and 27 cards to collect. Whether you can handle the grind or not Costume Quest 2 is a shallow game. It's also a celebration of this sacred holiday that you may find yourself replaying next year. If there's still time before the sun rises on November 1st, you may not regret buying this game.

In other words, despite its combat being such a chore, take that on the chin and Costume Quest 2 just about finds its way to being the sort of game we want Double Fine to make – a puzzle-adventure with gags and fun characters silly ideas. Only just about, though.
Is it a children's game? Yeah, but so what?

Costume Quest 2 on consoles is not a bad game by any means, but it failed to keep me interested during most of its short duration. I wanted to laugh more and I wanted navigating these charming environments to not feel like such a chore, but most importantly I wanted to have more fun than I did.

Costume Quest 2 is a pretty bog standard RPG, but it's outfitted with charm by the bucket load, and that's its real appeal. Sure, the gameplay doesn't exactly elevate a well-established genre, but it's strong enough to suck you into the game's light, carefree fiction, and that happens to be enough. In a world where games are getting darker and darker, this is like a welcome breath of fresh air, and, if nothing else, it's nice to feel like a kid again – even if the experience won't necessarily last that long.

While Costume Quest 2 does take some getting used to as far as its simple presentation and tricky battle system go, it's still an enjoyable sequel that fans will want to indulge in. Just be careful with the tricks that come along with these treats.

Double Fine has brought back Wren and Reynolds in another adventure to save Halloween in Costume Quest 2, a sequel that manages to improve on almost every weak aspect of the first outing while pushing the story further in a way that's not incredibly ridiculous.